


Disclosure

by ayelles



Category: Veronica Mars (Movie 2014), Veronica Mars (TV), Veronica Mars - All Media Types
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-28
Updated: 2014-06-06
Packaged: 2018-01-26 20:26:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,974
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1701419
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ayelles/pseuds/ayelles
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>"We're going to Santa Barbara, not Siberia."</i>
</p><p>  <i>"I'm a bridesmaid in Cathy Nguyen's wedding and you are meeting the Stanford crowd for the first time. The right supplies are necessary."</i></p><p> POST MOVIE: Logan meets Veronica's Stanford friends for the first time.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Part 1

_If there are boundaries, I will try to knock them down_

_I’m latching on, babe, now I know what I have found_

_I feel we're close enough, could I lock in your love?_

xxx

 

Three weeks after Logan gets back from his deployment, they decide to move in together. 

It was an idea mentioned casually through email and Skype calls - a preferred alternative to a giant metal box in the middle of the ocean and a pull-out couch in her father's guest room. So, once he's back on dry land and she's spending every night (okay, morning) driving the hour from his San Diego condo back to Neptune, they decide to pull the trigger.

The movers don't take long to set up his condo's furniture in their two-bedroom Neptune townhouse. It's her stuff from storage (essentially untouched since its arrival from New York) and the posessions she's amassed while staying at her dad's house that take up an entire Saturday of loading, driving and unloading. 

As they conclude their final haul of the day, he spots it. Peeking out of a shoe box labelled "on top of dresser", full of her mail and miscellaneous take out menus, is a framed photo of Veronica hugging a girl he's never seen before.

"Who's that?" he asks, settling the box down in what will eventually be their office-slash-guest room. In the middle of the room, she sits cross-legged on the rug, marking off something in a notebook, accounting for all the boxes she packed and their safe arrival to the new home.

"Who's who?" She barely looks up as she continues to check boxes against the list in her notebook, as if they were labelled more systematically than "books from dad's" and "law school stuff". 

Kneeling behind her, he wraps both arms around her small frame and replaces the notebook in her hand with the 4x7. The photo captures Veronica and a pink-cheeked Asian girl mid-laugh, the colorful leis around their necks suspended in motion.

"That's Cathy," she replies, as if it's the most obvious thing in the world. His chin is resting atop her head, but if he had to, he'd bet her statement was accompanied by an eyeroll.

The name is one that Veronica has mentioned in Skype conversations, but Logan struggles to recall the details. He spent a significant percentage of those calls trying to piece Veronica's pixelated smile together, and the rest just staring at her lips. Obviously, he can't tell her that.

"The one with the wedding?" 

"Yes, babe," she wriggles around to face him and place a light kiss on his lips. "You said I could include you in the RSVP, so you're going too."

He kisses her back, wondering when he actually agreed to that.

xxx

He lays on their bed wondering whether he should get dressed or crawl back under the covers for a few more minutes of sleep. The sound of a blowdryer pulls him out of his internal debate, and in the corner of his eye, he can see a towel-clad Veronica through the open bathroom door. He chooses to go with a third option.

He slips into the bathroom so quietly that she doesn't notice him until he's next to her at the sink, their eyes locked in the vanity. He continues to stare at her reflection as her eyes wander his naked form, the blowdryer in her left hand long forgotten.

"Logan." 

The blowdryer goes silent.

"Veronica." 

He quirks an eyebrow at her.

"We have to be on the road soo-" Her sentence, and all corresponding thoughts, disappear as his lips meet her clavicle and his fingers tug the towel from her torso. Instinctively, her hands press against his shoulder blades, keeping him close. 

He's been home almost four months and they are still relishing every touch. Their friends have scowled, teased and gagged at the constant PDAs - arms always around shoulders or waists, fingers interlock even in the middle of meals, every hello and be right back punctuated with a kiss, hair tousled, legs caressed. 

And that's in public.

In the privacy of their own master suite, Logan's hands are firmly grasping her hips and lifting her so her bare bottom reaches the sink. His mouth meets hers in a hungry kiss, before descening to her throat and trailing kisses down her sternum.

"Logan, we don't have time." Her warning comes out as a whimper as he drops to her knees before her. 

Half an hour later, they are both finally dressed. 

Her hair is still damp as she strides through the front door, proclaiming that the car is packed. He fastens the lids to the two coffee tumblers on the kitchen counter and gives her a smile. 

"We're going to Santa Barbara, not Siberia," he reminds her.

"I'm a bridesmaid in Cathy Nguyen's wedding and you are meeting the Stanford crowd for the first time. The right supplies are necessary."

"So, how much booze is in the backseat?"

His smirk elicits a stern look, but there's no hiding the nervous excitement in her aura. She moves around the kitchen island, reaching up to tug him by the dog tags and pull him into a searing kiss. Immediately, his whole body responds - but before his hands work their way under her tank top, she pulls away.

"This is going to be fun," she whispers as a reassurance to both her boyfriend and herself.

xxx

The Santa Barbara ranch is reminiscent of many California resorts the Echolls family frequented when it was still whole. Logan doesn't tell Veronica this as she comments on the beauty of the location.

"Okay, we're a little late so we missed the breakfast." She swats him on the arm as he licks his lips, reminding them of why they're late. "The bridesmaids are all at the spa, so I'm just going to meet them there. Can you get us checked in? We're all meeting by the pool for lunch at one."

In typical Veronica fashion, she disappears as soon as she's doled out orders so Logan faces the bellhop and the loaded trolley and motions forward.

Once he's done settling the suitcases into their fifth floor suite, Logan takes his time meandering around the ranch. Minus the similarities to less than fun childhood vacations, Logan really likes the Mediterranean architecture and proximity to the beach. He reminds himself to tell Cathy that she chose an excellent location for an almost-destination wedding. 

The bar at the pool is fairly empty - it's a Friday afternoon, after all - so he settles to an ice cold beer and catches up on some email.

"Hey, are you here for the Nguyen-Roman wedding?" the deep male voice pulls Logan from his smartphone screen and finds him face to face with a dark haired man in board shorts and a rumpled button down. 

"Yeah," Logan nods politely. "My girlfriend's a bridesmaid."

The stranger breaks out into a wide smile. "No way, which of Cathy's sisters are you dating?"

"Um, none of them. I'm with Veronica. Veronica Mars." The edges of his lips curl upwards when he says her name. Like it's synonymous with all the things that make him happy. If you asked him, he'd definitely say she's the thing that makes him happy.

"Oh," the stranger's smile has faded and his jaw has tensed. "I'm Raul." He says his name like it means something, like he expects Logan to react in some sort of way. 

Military training and life experience in general have taught Logan how to tell when someone is witholding information. He doesn't like it but military training and life experience have also taught him to reign in his temper. He breathes in for four counts then exhales for four counts before replying.

"So, you know Veronica from Stanford?" Logan tries, but definitely fails, to keep his tone light. He is counting to four again when Raul smirks at his question.

"Well, yeah. We dated for most of it." 

xxx

From what Logan can tell, Raul is actually a nice guy. The men quickly sprint away from the awkward introduction and instead make small talk about the beautiful location of the wedding. While Raul elaborates on the previous day's spectacular round of golf with the groom, Logan wills himself to stop seeing him as Veronica's ex-boyfriend.

The logical portions of his brain know that Veronica's year-long reunion with Piz wasn't her only relationship in the nine years they were apart. The less logical portions question whether or not she knew her college boyfriend would be at this event and whether she looked forward to seeing him. 

For the first time, he wonders what the rest of college had been like for Veronica. Probably not as chaotic and destructive as it had been for him. He wonders whether she was able to find "normal" away from Neptune. Wonders if she chose to find it with this man. He doesn't have to wonder what she saw in him - even Logan can admit he's handsome and judging from their ten minutes of conversation, is an overall good guy. 

And as if summoned by his thoughts, he sees her emerge with a group of women at the far end of the pool. Catching his eye, she breaks into a smile and separates from the pack.

"Hey!" he calls out, pausing Raul in his description of the intoxicated groom-to-be trying to sink a three-foot putt. When the other man turns to see who approaches, Veronica halts so suddenly in her tracks, she loses her balance for a moment.

"V!" Raul exclaims, rushing out of his seat and pulling Veronica into a hug before Logan can rise to his feet.

"Raul!" she replies, a bright smile replacing her surprised expression once she is released from his embrace. "You've met Logan?"

"Yeah, we just met," Logan says, draping an arm casually (okay, possessively) around his girlfriend. "He was just telling me how Tim's been wasted for the past two days."

"Color me surprised," she says sarcastically, casting a quick look at Raul before returning her attention back to Logan. "Well, you're about to meet the whole motley crew. Ready, sailor?"

A bellowing round of laughter erupts from picnic tables at the other end of the pool area. Not wasting another moment with the couple, Raul is off to find the source of the joke. With a shake of her head, Veronica giggles and gestures for Logan to follow.

"Lead the way," he murmurs, picking up his beer and trailing after. 

xxx

Veronica's best friend from college reminds Logan a little too much of Veronica's best friend from high school.  

Not Wallace, her first best friend. Cathy Nguyen has the same magnetic energy and commanding presence as Lilly Kane once had. 

It's clear that while the group is friends with both bride and groom, Cathy is the sun in this universe. 

Logan is introduced as Veronica's boyfriend in a lightning round of handshakes and air kisses. It's only Cathy who exclaims, "Great to FINALLY meet you, Lieutenant!" grasping on to his biceps , smacking her lips and giving Veronica a painfully obvious wink. 

"Finally, huh?" he whispers to Veronica as they take their seats for lunch. "Tell me, what reputation precedes me?"

"She's one of my best friends, Logan. She's obviously seen my L+V= LOVE scapbook."

Under the table, he gives her thigh a squeeze, then turns to listen attentively to the ongoing conversation, determined to at least learn everyone's names. Like Cathy's some have been sprinkled in conversation with Veronica over the past nine months, but never in any depth of detail. He soon learns that the long picnic table, with the exception of himself and Cathy's three sisters, is filled with the core group of Stanford friends. 

The groom, Tim is a foil to his fiancee in almost every way. Tall, lean and light-haired, he leans back with a quiet smile. The stocky Brit next to him is Theo, who appears to be married to Rose, who Veronica has mentioned as another close friend. Christian, the only one whose personality rivals Cathy's in size, has been discreetly checking Logan out for the duration of the meal - something Leah, seated to the left of Logan, made sure to point out. Veronica and Raul round out the group, leaving Logan as the odd one out.

His chest tightens a little at the realization that Veronica has brought him into this precious circle. He reaches for her hand but realizes she is busy digging into the fish tacos on her plate, and settles for dropping a kiss on her shoulder. 

Giving her a smile, he commits himself to do her proud and put his best foot forward among her friends.

Except he can't. 

As the conversation goes on, one story dovetails into the next, all centered in Stanford and starring members of the group. Even Cathy's sisters, who attended the same university the two years preceding and the year after, feature in select shenanigans. 

The trip down memory lane gives Logan a peek into the easy, carefree post-Neptune period of Veronica's life, but allows him minimal room to add to the conversation other than apologizing for the spurts of beer that erupt during an ill-timed sip at the conclusion of Theo's surprising discovery after hooking up with a waitress at AsiaSF.

"It's better than we lost him at Berkeley! Remember when we hiked up to their stadium that week after we lost the Big Game?" Veronica chips in, sipping on her third margarita.

"Who could forget? That was legendary," Rose pipes in. "And you, Ms. MI-6, with the all the plotting to break in and plant the Stanford flag on the field. Brilliant plan to park in Frat Row. I'll never know how you found out which gates were furthest away from security."

"Research! She was five minutes away from making us dress as security guards," Raul adds with a laugh.

"Hey! No one could afford to get caught trespassing, especially on enemy territory," Veronica retorts defensively. Logan smiles at the thought of Veronica using her PI skills for the sole purpose of mischief.

"Too bad no one told Tim or Theo it was enemy territory. Talk about shortest attention span, you forget why we were there and walked straight into the nearest frat party!" Cathy smacks her fiance on the arm. "Thank God you got hungry or you wouldn't have found us at Top Dog afterwards."

"Oh Top Dog," Veronica says with a wistful sigh. Logan rolls his eyes. Leave it to his girlfriend to yearn for a hotdog five seconds after devouring a massive slice of tres leches cake. "Wait a second, we didn't go to Top Dog that night."

Immediately, the group bursts into laughter.

"We," Rose gestures to the group in its entirety, her coffee colored skin shining in the afternon sun. "We all went to Top Dog after the stadium. Some people," She points from Veronica to Raul. "Stayed at the stadium for another hour." 

The laughter begins again, as Logan sips his beer in silence.

xxx

"I've never flown a plane."

Following the Berkeley stadium story and noting the eight shades of red Veronica blushed, Cathy suggested they switch to a drinking game since lunch was complete and they had some time to kill before the rehearsal dinner. Margarita pitchers appeared from the ever-present waitstaff and Christian ensured that every glass was filled to the brim. 

Veronica's first turn was an obvious compliment to Logan and his current job. Surprisingly, Tim sipped his frozen drink as well. To Logan's raised eyebrow, the groom simply shrugged. "I grew up on a farm. We got bored and Grandpa had a crop duster. Not nearly as cool as what you do."

"What do you fly, Lieutenant?" Cathy, clearly buzzed, asks too loudly. "Something with a smashing set of headlights?"

Logan's jaw tenses. He can't be sure if she means it, but all he hears is the allusion to his jackass teenaged self. What stings the most is realizing that after everything they had been through in the years following, it was still significant enough for Veronica to share with her Stanford roommate. 

Inhale two three four. Exhale two three four.

"Okay, who's next?" Veronica rushes in. "Christian?"

The turns quickly evolve to be more and more targeted. Each statement is a poorly veiled confession of another persons misdeeds. 

I've never had sex in a library (everyone, except Rose and Theo who adds a disgruntled, "Babe, I told you everyone does it!"). I've never gone to law school (Veronica and Christian). I've never worked at Google (Raul, Christan and Tim). I've never gotten married (Theo, Rose and surprisingly, Raul). I've never shown up stoned to a final exam (Raul and Christian). 

On Cathy's next turn, she smiles wickedly before declaring, "I've never flashed everyone at the Planet Hollywood pool in Vegas."

Logan chuckles and scans the table to see who lifts their drink. He stops suddenly, noticing Veronica's posture stiffen. He rests his palm on her knee and waits for her to tell him she's suddenly worried about something else. An open case at Mars Investigations, a curling iron left on at the townhouse, something. Veronica, his Veronica, would have never-

"Flashing implies that it was done on purpose, I'm not drinking."

"Come on, 'Ronica! Every Spring Breaker saw your B-cups in all their glory, drink up!" Cathy taunts, taking a generous gulp from her own cup.

"I fell asleep tanning when you spilled ice on me," Veronica grumbles brining her drink to her lips. 

Cathy claps visibly with a roll of her eyes, "Okay Lieutenant, your turn."

"I never knew Veronica at Stanford."


	2. Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for all the feedback. 
> 
> This part got really long, so this piece is now in three parts.
> 
> NOTE: Slight update since original posting of this chapter.

Steam fills the shower stall quickly as Logan rests his head on the cool tiles. After politely declining Veronica's tipsy offer to join him, he locked himself in the bathroom, hoping the hot water would help clear his mind.

In the new, mature version of their relationship, there's no place for Logan to go off on Veronica for no solid reason.

He can't pinpoint the exact reason that he is irritated and frustrated and just plain pissed off right now, but he does know that he is committed to this new, mature version of their relationship.

The hot water feels great on his shoulders. His muscles are permanently knotted from the manual labor parts of his job. It's not exactly what he signed up for, but he'll haul equipment and gear from storage to hangar and back again all day if it means he'll end up in the air at some point.

Thinking about his plane brings Logan a sense of calm, something he hasn't felt since they left Neptune that morning. Since then, he's felt off balance and out of place, to say the least.

Yes, he's bothered at seeing Veronica's ex-boyfriend, bothered by being the only non-Stanford friend at the lunch, bothered at how left out he felt at every college story and inside joke, but that's not why there's an ache in his gut.

The sucker punch was discovering the life of a Veronica he never knew.

When she showed up in Neptune to help clear his name of Carrie's murder - actually, before then, when he called her for the first time in nine years - he thought he still knew her. After all these years, he could still read her, still understand her, could still fit perfectly with her in a way that no one else could.

But the carefree, mischievous, good-times Veronica these friends described all afternoon? He has never met that girl.

Sure, parts of her emerged throughout their time together but that girl was a completely different person than any Veronica he knew. She wasn't the determined, fiercely independent 19-year-old badass nor was she the mature, loving, fiercely independent 29-year-old.

Plain and simple, Veronica just wasn't that girl around Logan.

But she could transfer out of Hearst, say goodbye in a text message, leave Neptune for good, and become that girl overnight. All she had needed was to leave him behind to find the easy normal that had vanished the day Lilly died.

And she did.

Veronica made friends and finally got to have a college experience. All while Logan degenerated into an entitled drunken jackass. While she dated brilliant Google recruit-turned-startup founder, Logan was drinking til he stumbled into a party and partying til he stumbled into a fight. Veronica took road trips to Vegas and Logan got a DUI leaving an LA club.

She made lifelong friends with a cool group of people and it was Dick, of all people, who cared enough about Logan to tell him to get his shit together.

xxx

"I'm sorry. I know the group is a little much. We just haven't been together since Theo and Rose's wedding," Veronica finally says. Clad in only a short robe, she irons a royal blue dress at the far end of the hotel suite. They haven't touched since he helped her stumble into the suite following the afternoon drinking game.

"We also have a tendency to revert back to our college selves when we're around each other. Exhibit A: self-respecting thirty-year-olds playing I Never."

Logan snorts, he can't help himself, but he pauses thoughtfully and measures the words for his reply.

"They're great. You could have prepped me better." The accusation in his tone is undeniable.

"I know. I just... I didn't know how to explain."

"So you just threw me into the deep end. With the sharks. During feeding hour." Self-control was never his strong suit.

"Logan." She turns off the iron, hangs up the dress and crosses the room to stand in front of him. Seated on the platform bed, she is at eye-level but he refuses to look at her.

"What?" he says softly, finally meeting her eyes. All the bite is gone from his voice. Her hands meet his biceps in a gentle caress.

"I'm sorry, okay? I wanted you to meet my friends and get to know them. And I wanted them to get to know you."

"Kind of hard when I'm excluded from every conversation."

She hears the hurt in his voice and visibly struggles to piece together a way to explain her intention.

"Logan, what else do you want me to say? I'm sorry you're not the center of attention? My friends are important to me," she pauses, chewing on her lip. She stares at the open buttons of his dress shirt, the untied tie slung around his neck.

"When I got to Stanford, I didn't know anyone and I didn't know how to... Be around people. Life was one rape or murder after another in Neptune and there was Cathy, whose big dilemma was whether to go to a gay bar in San Francisco or spend more time in the biochem lab." She starts fidgeting with Logan's tie unconsciously. All of a sudden shy that she's exposed so much. His large hand closes over hers at his collar. His eyes urge her to continue.

"Being around Cathy, around everyone, it was the first time since... Since you, me, Duncan and Lilly that I felt like just a normal kid. I stopped being the outcast, the victim, the scary vengeful bitch. They taught me how to be... fun." She pauses again, staring at their joined hands. "Like you always wanted me to be."

"Veronica..."

Her name on his lips is an apology, an understanding.

"I wanted you to meet them, Logan, and know that I'm capable of being that person. That's why I asked you to come early - the other boyfriends aren't arriving til the rehearsal dinner. I wanted you to see the group as they are and see the way they see me. Because if we're serious about making this work-"

"I am," he interjects quickly. "I'm serious about making this work. Being around you guys today just made me realize how much about you - about the last nine years - that I just don't know. And that sucks."

She brings their joined hands to her lips. "I'm sorry. This was the only way I thought I could explain."

Suddenly, a warm ache floods his chest and he is pulling at her hips, fitting her between his knees, chests flush against one another. Her eyes still hold the look of apology and something else - a plea, a request, willing him to understand.

He thinks he hears an "Love you" as his lips find hers.

xxx

The morning after the rehearsal dinner, Logan wakes up alone and disoriented.

After a few moments, he realizes that he is neither at home nor on a ship. He's in a hotel room because he and Veronica are at her friend's wedding. And he's alone because as a bridesmaid, his girlfriend is at a final sleepover with the bride.

Stretching lazily, he thinks about how to pass the hours before the wedding. A faint ache echoes in his limbs and with a groan, he laughs at himself. Once upon a time, he drank exponential amounts of whiskey and could still crawl on to a surfboard hours later. Now, even a little day drinking and a few glasses of wine at dinner linger in his system.

Still, he rights himself and dons some workout clothes, ready to grab a cup of coffee and spend the morning at the gym.

After a few moments surveying the expansive pastry selection in the hotel lobby, he hears a familiar voice call out, "Logan!"

In front of him stand Veronica's friends, Christian, Theo and Raul, along with Julien (Christian's partner) and Haru? Hiroki? - Leah's boyfriend who had joined the group for the rehearsal dinner the previous night.

The rehearsal dinner had been a pleasant surprise for Logan following the agitation that consumed his afternoon. With the rest of the group's significant others present, along with 40 of Cathy and Tim's family members, the laviscious stories mellowed and the rowdy college atmosphere dissapated. In place, a group of well-mannered, successful and easygoing late-twenties professionals enjoyed a catered dinner and several bottles of California wine.

"Hey guys, what's going on?"

"Cathy and the girls are doing their thing until the wedding, and Tim is spending his last day as a single man with his family," Christian explains as if they are the dullest couple in the world. "So we're going to hit the driving range. Want to come?"

Logan takes a moment to weigh his options, disguising the debate with a bite of a chocolate croissant. He could hit the gym then wander the gorgeous ranch alone or he could subject himself to three hours of attempting to befriend Veronica's friends (and ex-boyfriend. But he's over that fact. Really.).

"Sure," he agrees with a why-not shrug and follows the group of men into a deluxe golf cart.

xxx

"Woah, dude, you have a monster swing."

Theo's compliment shouldn't feel as good as it does, but Logan chest swells regardless. He knows he's a pretty decent golfer. He may be wearing a smug smirk on his face. But more than anything, he's elated that he is finally making a positive impression on Veronica's friends.

"Lots of golf in the Navy?" Leah's boyfriend - Hiroki! - asks.

"Hiroki, man, you've got to be kidding. He's probably been golfing since he was a kid," Christian pipes in with a laugh. "It's a Hollywood thing, babe."

Immediately, Logan's shoulders begin to tense. Breathe two three four. Chill two three four.

"Actually, it _was_ a Navy thing," Logan says, his tone even. "On my first deployment, my squad caught a commanding officer hitting a ball off the side of the ship. It seemed nutty to be golfing off this giant carrier in the middle of the ocean, so we had to ask him what the deal was. Turns out, this guy brings a dozen balls on every deployment - just twelve - and you know we're usually out there for six months. Basically, whenever he hits the point of crazy homesick, frustrated, all that stuff, he hits a ball into the ocean."

"I can't believe you guys are out there for that bloody long. So what, did you steal the habit, mate?" Theo asks, his accent thick amid his British colloquialisms.

"Yeah, my squad and I all took up the habit. And well, if you're only allowed to be pissed off or homesick twelve times in six months, you've got to make it count."

Logan emphasizes his final point by taking another swing and sending a ball sailing into the horizon.

He can recall every moment of his last deployment that sent him to the edge of the carrier armed with nothing but a golf ball and a three wood. Week Two: when the weight of the reality that Carrie was _gone_ and Veronica has almost died helping him crashes so swiftly upon him, he can barely breathe. Week Five: when his smart mouth loses his computer privileges for the week and there's no way of reaching out to Veronica. Week Eight: when he notices the purpling mark on Veronica's cheek through the pixelated screen and realizes how little he can do to protect her from the middle of the ocean.

"Speaking of making it count, you and Veronica-" Christian quiets quickly after a nudge in the ribs from his boyfriend, but the men look to one another now that the door has been opened.

"Yeah, me and Veronica." Just as Logan thought he was getting comfortable with the group, the familiar feeling of being an outlier creeps in.

At his silence, Theo laughs. "I still can't believe we're just hanging out with you. The Ex." He punctuates the title with air quotes, confirming that Veronica had talked about Logan and their turbulent past throughout her happy-go-lucky college days. While counting to four, Logan reminds himself of the many nights he spent in his bunk yammering on about his favorite blonde.

"Yeah, we just didn't work out when we were younger."

Raul's laughter erupts so quickly and fiercely, he is snorting Gatorate on his white polo.

"Understatement of the decade," he wheezes when he finally catches his breath. "You-"

He cuts himself off suddenly, as if remembering the phrases he wanted to utter were made in secret.

"You did a number on her for sure."

Logan wonders to what extent Veronica opened up to Raul about their relationship. Did he know stories of smashed headlights as Cathy seemed to? Did he know about the many ways to lose a mother? Did he know about nightmares of too-small spaces and distrust for every drink that didn't come pre-sealed?

"Raul, quit it. You're just trying to make sure you win the second half of the bet," Christian scolds.

"Bet?" This is a turn Logan didn't expect the conversation to take.

"He's trying to scare you off so you and Veronica don't get all romantic at the wedding later and decide to start planning your own," Christian explains before pulling a 7 iron from his bag and returning to his stall.

"Babe, has Logan heard about the bet?" Julien calls out while his boyfriend is mid-swing.

"No, I haven't. What's the bet?"

Theo speaks up. "At the beginning of senior year, we bet on who in the group would get married first and who would get married last." He rolls his eyes, admitting the stupidity of the gesture. "Raul won the first half because he cheated."

"Yeah, like I got married just to win this stupid bet. I told you guys that I would be first, you should have trusted me."

"We did, wanker. That's why we all bet on Veronica as first! You were still together when this bet was made."

"I could have told you it wouldn't have been to her," Raul pauses and looks past Theo, meeting Logan's eyes.

"Veronica never wants to get married."


	3. Part 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GUYS I SCREWED UP AND LEFT OUT AN ENTIRE SECTION WHEN I FIRST POSTED THIS CHAPTER. UPDATED VERSION BELOW.
> 
> Thank you so much for all the feedback and comments. This piece is obviously not beta'ed so your comments have been really helpful in showing the discrepancies of the backstory in my head versus what ended up in the story.
> 
> Hope you all like the ending!

The afternoon sun beams down on the ocean as Logan takes his seat for the wedding ceremony.

The edge of the ranch curves with great lawns and gardens, hugging the coast so closely that the altar is only a few steep steps above the beach. Logan takes a seat in a middle row on the "bride's side" of the ceremony. He recognizes some faces from the rehearsal dinner, but none enough to need to speak. His patience is worn to rice paper, a level of thin that is translucent and bitter.

As the seats fill around him, the string quartet starts to play a tune he can't quite place. Instead, he busies himself reading the wedding program. Logan scrutinizes the sizable list of names the bride and groom have chosen to accompany them down the aisle. Veronica's name is nestled amid the six bridesmaids. Raul's name is featured on Tim's side of the list but shares a latitude with one of Cathy's sisters.

At least that's an image Logan won't have to deal with today.

He struggled with the decision to even dress up and attend the ceremony after the morning with Veronica's friends. Admittedly, he enjoyed the golfing and some of the company. Finding out the degree to which Veronica had slandered - no, that wasn't right, everything she said was _true_ \- their past relationship to her friends made him want to pack up the car and speed straight back to Neptune.

The thought that his abandonment would only prove her right was one of his main motivations for buttoning up his crisp Armani shirt and knotting the blue silk tie. That, and regardless of all the discomfort he felt, he couldn't punish Veronica for things she said eight years ago.

In their two weeks of bliss prior to his deployment, they decided against judging their relationship by its past. In their nine years apart, she experienced the normal she wanted and still chose to come back to Neptune - to him. He matured from the anger and bitterness that hardened his teenaged self, and grew up from the spoiled and entitled boy he once was.

Sitting quietly on the sand outside of Dick's beach house, they decided they were going to commit to this. Logan kissed the "what ifs" from her lips and she soothed her hands over his scars, visible and invisible.

In the months and emails that followed, they started a new relationship. One where they knew each other so intimately but discovered something different, something of their new, mature version of themselves everyday.

The string quartet changes its tune, drawing Logan's thoughts back to the current location. The wedding. The ceremony where two people will commit to loving each other for the rest of their lives.

For the thousandth time since Raul said the words, Logan thinks of Veronica's outlook on marriage. To Raul's chagrin, Logan wasn't surprised in the least by the statement. Between her parents own marriage and all the cheating spouses that kept Mars Investigations in business, Veronica never thought highly of making binding promises grounded in something as fleeting as love.

But that was when love was a constantly fleeting thing. Perhaps her views had changed since realizing that love could span years and continents...

As if timed to his thoughts on love, the procession begins.

Sitting at the edge of the row, Logan is furthest from the aisle and has to crane his neck in order to see the deep crimson of the bridesmaids' dresses, waiting for the tiny blonde one.

She is second down the aisle, her hair in delicate waves around her face. The ocean breeze adds movement to the chiffon of her skirt. As she comes closer, Logan can see the trepidation in her expression. _Probably trying to keep balance in her three-inch heels._ Her face is trained towards her destination, but her bright eyes scan the crowd.

It's only when she sees him that her face relaxes and her smile finally reaches her eyes.

xxx

The ceremony turns out to be a more religious affair than expected. Amidst the hymns and verses, Logan tunes out. He doesn't return his full attention until the minister announces it's time for the vows.

Signaling the end of the ceremony, the entire bridal party, including Veronica, return to standing on either side of the couple.

From her place in front, Veronica is radiant. The sun is lower in the sky and the soft orange glow illuminates her. Contrary to her complaints earlier in the week, the bridesmaid's dress looks great on her. The bodice hugs her top half, accentuating her waist and breasts. The light fabric of the skirt ends mid-thigh, sending Logan's imagination to places entirely inappropriate for the religious overtones of the ceremony.

Logan knows he should be staring at the dark-haired woman in the white dress and the tall, slim man next to her, but his eyes are fixed on Veronica, his Veronica. She, however, maintains her duty and keeps her gaze on the couple.

As Tim begins to speak, Logan decides to stop ogling his girlfriend and pay attention.

"I still can't believe we made it up here," Tim begins, resulting in snickers from the audience. "It's been a long time since I first asked you to tutor me for neurobio. And though that was the beginning of our journey, it wasn't our only beginning. We've made mistakes, but we've always found our way back to each other."

This catches Logan completely off guard. _Who admits to these things in their wedding vows?_ At the same time, he admires Tim for admitting to their faults and admires the relationship for its survival.

Tim continues, "We could have been the cute story of study buddies falling in love. While that's true, we're so much more than that. We've grown up together. I loved you when I was a shy college tech nerd and you were the life of the party and the top of the class. I love you with my whole grown up tech nerd heart for the adventure and fun you bring to my life. And I will love you forever, because I know that no matter how our lives change, our love will only grow to fit it."

At the last line, Logan shifts his gaze from the middle of the altar and catches his favorite bridesmaid as she stares out at him. In the sunlight, he can see the moisture in her eyes.

xxx

Once the ceremony concludes, the entire party migrates away from the beach and towards the main ballroom where the reception will be held. Skimming around the edges of the crowd, Logan tries to maintain a visual of Veronica among the mass of people.

Out of nowhere, a hand grabs him by the bicep and yanks him into a narrow alcove. Face to face with his assailant, he smirks.

With an exaggerated look at their surroundings, Logan shrugs and says, "At least it's not the girls' bathroom."

His captor gives him a wide smile and a light shove before wrapping her arms around his midsection and pressing her entire body against his.

"Missed you," she says with a sigh, resting her chin against his chest and staring straight into his eyes.

Her eyes echo the ache in her voice. She has missed him. And while he was busy processing all the other emotions of meeting her friends and finding about her college years, he barely registered how much time over the past two days they had spent apart.

A ball of warmth lodges itself beneath his ribs. All the feelings that were hidden beneath the confusion and frustration of the past couple of days bubble to the surface until his skin is all but expanding with how much he has missed her. How much he loves her.

And his mouth is on hers. His hands find the small of her back, the curve of her shoulder, the swell of her ass. She presses back with equal fervor. Her teeth graze his lip, her tongue duels his, her hands fist the fabric of his shirt.

This is his bobcat. His love. His Veronica.

_His._

He moves his mouth away from her lips and onto her jaw, her neck, the junction of her shoulder; pressing forward with his mouth, his whole body, until her back is flush against the colorful tiles of the alcove.

Her instincts take over and she snakes her leg around his. He reaches down and grabs at the soft fabric of her skirt, pulling until he makes contact with her bare thigh. She crooks her ankle around his leg, pulling him closer still. He rubs against her, and even through layers of fabric, she lets out a breathy moan.

Instantly, his lips fasten back on to her as if he is trying to swallow every gasp from her throat. He loves how responsive she is. His lover. His Veronica. _His._

And then she is pulling away from his kiss, her hands on his chest creating distance between their bodies. Their faces flush, they take to separate ends of the alcove to catch their breath and lower their heart rate.

"Logan," she says, voice still so breathy that he almost pounces on her again.

"Veronica."

"We shouldn't- I mean, not here. The party. They'll be looking for me." The way that she continues to lick her lips and fidget against the wall tells Logan that she hates having to stop their reunion as much as he does.

"Alright, bobcat," he replies with a small smile. As much as he would love to continue, he is happy enough to know that Veronica has missed him this much over the past two days.

"I missed you too," he adds, patting her butt as they exit the alcove and return to the crowds.

xxx

At the reception, they make their way to table three, where the rest of the gang awaits them.

"I'm sorry about Raul," Veronica says quietly, as they weave around tables and wedding guests.

"What?"

"Theo was texting Rose this morning," she replies before shaking her head. "I swear, their vows included never letting five minutes go by without texting the other person. Oh, and making sure the other person never loses the British accent."

"Veronica." There are a million different ways to say her name. Not ten minutes ago, it was seduction. Now, it's a command to get back to the topic at hand.

"Theo texted Rose this morning and told her what a dick Raul was to you," she explains. "We had a pretty drama-free breakup, but I think meeting you brings back a lot of stuff. I really wasn't fair to him in college. We were together but I still wasn't over-"

She stops short both in motion and in words. In her pause, she waves over a waiter with a tray full of champagne glasses. 

"Over what, Veronica?" Logan presses, as she hands him a drink.

"Over this," she replies motioning to the space between them. "Over us."

Logan pauses and sips, absorbing the new information. Veronica left Neptune to live a carefree college life at Stanford with a drama-free boyfriend. Yet, during that time, she still wasn't over Logan and their relationship. Even though the two of them hadn't even been together when she left Neptune. 

With a nod, he clinks his glass to hers and smiles.

"Here's to never getting over us."

xxx

Once seated, their fingers remain interlocked through dinner and he sweeps her onto the dance floor the moment the band swings into action. It feels good to hold her in his arms, with her beaming up at him, in the presence of the people who once listened to all her complaints about him. He shouldn't take pleasure in that fact. But he does.

They dance along next to Theo and Rose, Leah and Hiroki, Christian and Julien, and of course, Cathy and Tim. The bride is her own force of gravity, head tilted back in laughter, urging everyone to have glass after glass of champagne.

The sky has turned dark when Logan and Veronica finally take a break from the dance floor. She hurries to the ladies room and he takes a moment to explore the patio, illuminated by tiki lights and stars.

He is finally beginning to feel like himself again, like the grown-up Logan rather than the screw-up teenager that the Stanford crowd knows him as.

"I've never seen her this happy," a voice interrupts his quiet moment. A few feet away from him stands Cathy, her white gown practically glowing in the night.

"Excuse me?"

"Veronica," she says slowly, clearly thinking out her words rather than blurting them as she has carelessly in all Logan's previous interactions. "I've never seen her as happy as she was on the dance floor just now."

"It's a great party," he replies quickly.

"No, it's not that. She's got this extra glow when she's with you, like she's really happy," she pauses for a moment, taking a step closer to Logan as if she's about to reveal a long-hidden secret. "Don't get me wrong, she was happy at Stanford but it took some serious trying on my part to get her to have fun back then. She was only really happy when we were doing weird things, like figuring out if Tim was cheating on me or who my sister's secret admirer was. Makes sense that she's back to being a PI."

Logan chuckles a little, but doesn't reply, intrigued by what else Cathy has to say.

"She's one of my best friends, right? I didn't even know she did all that investigating stuff until the end of college. She didn't talk about Neptune much when we were in school... unless she was talking about you. The bad boy ex-boyfriend, you were infamous within the group before we figured out you were actually famous."

"I'm not actually-" Logan tries to deny his status. He never did anything to earn the paparazzi coverage, other than being born to a unique set of parents.

"I couldn't believe it when she said she was back in Neptune and back with you. I mean, she only talked about you in college when-" Cathy catches herself before revealing too much about her friend. "But she's been different since you guys got back together. Just the way she talks about you and your relationship. I've never seen her this happy."

Logan is at a loss for words. He met this woman not forty-eight hours ago and then, she was referencing terrible sins of his past. Now, she is affirming his relationship with Veronica. This weekend is definitely one for the history books.

"We're trying," he replies finally.

"Good," Cathy says with smile, giving him a light shove on the shoulder. "It better stay that way!"

"Here you are!" The sound of Veronica's voice cuts through Logan and Cathy's moment like a sharp knife. Her ears must have been burning.

"Hey lady, I'm just telling your man here how great it is that he got to come and meet everyone."

Veronica reaches the area where they are standing and instantly wraps her arms around Logan. Her head rests against his chest, as she smiles at her newlywed friend.

"Right, like you guys didn't hold back on the hazing," Veronica replies with a roll of her eyes. Logan drops a kiss on the top of her head, thankful that she knows how much shit he has gone through in meeting her friends.

"It's only 'cause we love you!" Cathy says flippantly.

"I know," the sarcasm in Veronica's voice is gone. "Well, we're going back to the dance floor." She pulls away from Logan only enough to stand by his side and take his hand.

"Yes!" Cathy agrees. "And while we're at it, maybe we can find my husband."

"Yeah," Veronica replies, already marching back towards the reception, tugging Logan along with her. "This one's mine."

-FIN-


End file.
